


Red Color Scheme

by stagnation13 (Bellalaine)



Series: Backyard!Jack Series [2]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-05
Updated: 2010-05-05
Packaged: 2017-10-09 08:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/84888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellalaine/pseuds/stagnation13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel contemplates the color red as an interior color scheme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Color Scheme

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in the same universe as Night Phlox, but can stand alone as well.

On a blustery, soggy night, Daniel realized their neighbor had red walls.

Not that he could help but notice. They had those massive floor to ceiling windows that you can't even begin to imagine hanging a curtain in, not that they were meant to have curtains, or blinds, or any sort of covering. There were flood lights in the sloped ceiling, and the walls were red.

Not that he spent time looking into other people's houses. For some reason, on this night, he looked as he was pulling into their driveway. He was so grateful to be home, after a long day of doing different things for different people, battling horrible traffic on soggy, leaf clogged streets. He sat in the driveway for just a moment, noticing how well Jack had done placing the outside garden lights. That's when he noticed the red walls of their neighbors.

Why would anyone want to paint their walls red? It just seemed so...angry.

Inside his own house, the smell of Jack's stew float to him from the kitchen, the sound of the hockey game on the television, the beige color of the walls soothing him...

"Jesus, Daniel, you look like a drowned rat!"

...and Jack, comforting him like no one else ever has. The gentle swat on his bottom, shooing him into the shower, told him he was home. Add that swat to the sounds, the smells and Jack, he was definitely home.

The beige walls were just fine to Daniel.

Out of the shower, wearing sweats, a USAF hoody and thick socks, he still pondered the red walls. He forgot all about them when he was taken into Jack's arms for a quiet, "Welcome home, baby," whispered into his ear. Daniel tucked his nose into the side of Jack's neck and breathed in home.

When they sat for dinner, Daniel asked Jack if he knew the neighbors had painted their walls red.

"I remember them talking about it. They had seen some layout in a home magazine, something about red being the new white or something. Why?"

So Daniel went into the color red, how red was supposedly the first color perceived by Man. Neolithic hunters considered red to be endowed with life-giving powers, which is why some skeletons have been found buried in tons of red ochre. The same hunters would paint their weapons and even themselves in the blood of slain animals. Even further on down the food chain, Roman gladiators drank the blood of their dying foes to gain their strength. In turn, red amulets such as the ruby were worn to warn off the evil eye or to gain invincibility. Writers of Egyptian papyri used a special red ink for nasty words. The Israelites in biblical times painted their doorframes in red blood to scare demons, and during the Passover the red blood of a spring lamb was painted on the doorposts of the Hebrews so the Spirit of the Lord would pass over those homes. Moving on to Christianity, the red rose is associated with the Crucifixion.

Some even find the color red to be warm, cozy, exciting, stimulating, dramatic, and a symbol of passion.

Jack listened to all this without interruption.

"Well, once the wife left the girlfriend moved in and she redecorated," Jack said eventually.

Daniel nodded. "Just an interesting color, that's all."

Daniel cleaned up after dinner while Jack went back to yell at yet another hockey game on the television, then went to the loft to work on his emails. Much later, he raised his head from his instant messaging and realized the house was quiet and cold. The rain was still falling steadily; he could hear it against the windows. He signed off, powered down and went back downstairs. Jack had thankfully left a small light on; Daniel decided to leave it on for the night.

He looked out the kitchen window and could see right into the neighbors house at those red walls.

He found Jack in bed, asleep, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, his book against his chest, a finger holding his place. Toni Morrison. Daniel gently removed the book and the glasses, kissing Jack's mouth gently. He tasted minty and flowery from his last cup of tea.

Just like Daniel figured, Jack woke briefly when he climbed into bed.

"Do you want red walls?' Jack asked as they curled together.

"Not really," Daniel signed happily, as Jack was nice and warm. "What we have is perfect."

"Yes it is."


End file.
